invisible string • Gracie Abrams

042 a taste of acceptance

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
a taste of acceptance
•

"STOP."

charlotte raised her head back up from her laptop to look at gracie who's eyes were on the road as she drove charlottes car.

"you're working yourself up," gracie said, eyes bouncing to the vanity fair email that got sent to them this morning, telling them that it'd be done and ready to post by tomorrow.

charlotte let out a anxious sigh and shut the laptop. weenie, who was sat on her leg, whined and pawed at her chest for attention. she stroked his fur and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"you wanna do something tonight? maybe get your mind off it?" gracie asked.

charlotte shrugged, "sure."

"i gotta go to my place for a bit, drop off weenie and make a call to aaron. and um, i've been meaning to tell you, my parents want to see me tomorrow night. i haven't seen them since before we got leaked and... i don't know, maybe you can come?"

"gracie, y'know they hate me."

"and i don't want them to," gracie replied. "y'know, you're fixing stuff with yours so i might as well fix mine. my brothers will be there too, henry is chill with everything for the most part, but august is still kinda following my parents."

charlotte tapped her fingers against her knee. gracie didn't talk about her parents opinions as much as charlotte would, maybe because they were less involved, but still, charlotte was terrified of ever facing them. she's seen her own parents reactions and what if gracie's was much worse? what would she say to them, 'hey i'm the girl who you hate and is also dating your daughter' or 'my parents have been fighting with you for years, let's have dinner sometime?'"

and yet, when she looked to gracie she could see the desperation in her eyes, making her heart twist in knots.

"i— do you really think it'll go okay?" charlotte quietly asked.

gracie's done it all for charlotte. stood beside and comforted her every time her parents would speak and held her hand through every single decision regarding them. so even if it made charlottes bone chill at the thought of meeting the abrams', she knows it's her job to do the same for gracie, no matter what. she'd do anything for her anyways, a stupid fear shouldn't and would never get in the way of that.

"i mean, it won't be perfect but yeah. and you say the word we can leave, if you're uncomfortable or anxious you just tell me and i'll get us out of there, no question."

charlotte glanced back to her, a softness in her eyes.

"i promise."

"okay."

_

after gracie got home, charlotte got into the drivers seat and drove back to her apartment. she took a shower immediately to better distract herself from the article, then spent time with the cats and face-timed gracie for a bit to talk about going out for dinner tonight to a restaurant charlotte picked out. she booked a reservation for a rooftop dinner at some high end restaurant and then went out to her car to set up a spot in the trunk with blankets and pillows for them to sit in after at a beach. she took the liberty of grabbing the hoodie of her own that was gracie's personal favourite to wear and tucked it into the trunk with the layout, throwing in the shark stuffed animal from her bed that gracie adores as well.

"okay," she huffed after closing the trunk. just as she did so, she heard a car pulling into the private underground parking lot and turned her head.

"surprise!" called out olivia, honking her horn and sticking her head out the window.